The invention relates to flexible channel-shaped sealing, finishing and guide strips for use as draft excluding seals, beadings, window channels, flange finishers (for covering welded flanges for example), and the like, and more particularly to reinforcing cores or carriers for such strips. Such strips are herein referred to generically as "sealing strips", and are particularly, though not exclusively, for use in vehicle construction.
Reinforcing cores or carriers for sealing strips are known comprising a series of U-form elements arranged side-by-side to define a channel with each leg of each element being connected to the adjacent leg of the next element by a short connecting link which extends parallel to the longitudinal extension of the channel. Such a reinforcing carrier is unsatisfactory in that it has only limited flexibility. While it may be flexible in a plane passing through the base of the channel and parallel to the channel sides, its flexibility in the perpendicular plane is extremely limited or non-existent and in fact can only take place by buckling of the connecting links. This is clearly unsatisfactory.
Reinforcing carriers for sealing strips are also known which again comprise a series of U-form elements arranged side-by-side to define a channel and which, in the finished sealing strip, are covered by a covering or coating of flexible and resilient material but are spaced apart and disconnected from each other within the covering. Such an arrangement gives improved flexibility but it is normally necessary for the carrier elements to be connected to each other before they are covered with resilient covering material and this therefore involves an additional step for breaking the connections between the carrier elements.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved reinforcing core or carrier for a sealing strip.
It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a reinforcing core or carrier for a sealing strip which comprises a series of U-form elements which are connected to each other but nevertheless enable the carrier to have substantial flexibility.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved sealing strip.
A further object of the invention is to provide improved methods of making reinforcing carriers for sealing strips and sealing strips incorporating such carriers.